River Yamuna, unfortunately, one of the world’s most heavily polluted, is to undergo a transformation from an open sewer to a multi-million pound holiday destination.

Plans have been announced this week to offer a drastic change to New Delhi’s noxious riversides. The transformation will turn the riversides into an idyllic destination for the city’s affluent middle class population as well as tourists travelling abroad.

The Yamuna, considered to most to be one of the holiest rivers in the Hindu religion, flows a total length of 855 miles in northern India. Springing from the Yamunotri glacier in the peaks of the Himalayan mountains, the what once was, pure water changes to thick black sludge as it winds down into New Delhi.

Officials believe that the deterioration of the river is due to the rapidly increasing population of New Delhi. The government has spent approximately $500 million in an attempt to clean up the river already. However, pollution levels are continuing to rise, and the river, according to reports, is even dirtier today than it was before.

Although it may not bother volunteers who are there to help such problems, in fact it may anger them that such development is taking place, it is affecting tourism for those coming to the city on holiday.

Following on from this, scepticism has been voiced by some environmental groups, which is sure to be supported by many people volunteering abroad in India. There concerns state that no visitors will come to the riverbank unless it is thoroughly cleaned and the sewage is redirected to functional treatment centres.

There worries also relate to the use of the area. Suresh Kumar Rohilla of Delhi’s Centre for Science and Environment welcomed the plans, however, under strict regulations, “The entire project has to be environment friendly. There should be no concrete structures or flooring of the Yamuna basin. No shopping malls.

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